Napkin-holder.



N0. 7|5678. Patented 060.9. I902.

L. J. MARTIN. v

- NAPKIN HOLDER.

(Application filed Apr. 12, 1002) (No Model.)

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U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER J. MARTIN, OF ORANGE, VIRGINIA.

NAPKlN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 15,678, dated December 9, 1902.

Application filed April 12, 1902. Serial No. 102,644. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUTHER J. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orange, in the county of Orange and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Napkin-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to napkin-holders, and has for its object the production of a device of this character capable of being readily attached to the person to support a napkin in proper position, whereby all liability of the clothes becoming soiled is obviated and which is cheap, durable, and. efficient.

A further object of the invention is to provide the device with a receptacle for holding the napkin in a folded position and from which the napkin may be conveniently extracted to be attached to the device in applied position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for locking the device in applied position. I

The invention consists in the peculiar construction of the device hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawing the figure represents a perspective View of anapkin-holder constructed in accordance with my invention.

The napkin-holder is constructed from a single piece of resilient wire having sufiicient rigidity to prevent the same from becoming injured or losing any of its qualities from the strain placed thereon in applying and removing it from the person.

The wire to form the napkin-holder is bent to an approximately inverted U shape to provide members or arms 1 and 2, having slight curves to accommodate for the curvature of the chest when the device is in applied position. The members or arms 1 and 2 are provided with a plurality of upwardly-projecting tangs 3, formed integral therewith or made separately and applied thereto. In applying a napkin the upper ends thereof are secured to the tangs 3, which are placed in series one above the other to permit the napkin to be adjusted to permit of the application of the holder to persons of varying size. The lower or free ends of the members or arms are bent upon themselves to form the napkin-receptacle by providing channels at between the members or arms and their upwardly-bent portions and in which the napkin is inserted to be held therein through the virtue of the spring quality the material possesses from which the holder is made. The ends of the upwardly-bent portions are disposed in a horizontal plane and thence downwardly, providing vertically-disposed portions. The free ends of the vertically-disposed portions have their extremities formed into locking devices, hereinafter fully described. One of the vertically-disposed portions has its extremity formed into a horizontally-arranged eye 5, and the extremity of the other vertically-disposed portion is formed into a hook 6, adapted to engage the eye 5 to limit the opposite lateral movements of the lower extremities of the members or arms 1 and 2, holding the device in applied position and to permit of the reception of the folded napkin I adjacent its ends in the channels 4.

The application and utility of the device may be explained as follows: The hook 6 is disengaged from the eye 5 and the holder passed over the head to place the members or arms'upon the chest, and then the hook is insorted into the eye to cause the members or arms to bind against the adjacent parts of the body, thereby holding the device in applied position against casual displacement. The napkin may then be applied to tangs 3 in the manner hereinbefore pointed out.

The device may be, when not used to support a napkin upon a person, utilized as a napkin-holder, which utilization may be accomplished byinserting a napkin in the channels 4:. The members or arms 1 and 2 have a tendency to move laterally from each other when the hook 6 is disengaged from the eye 5, and in order to bring and retain the members or arms sufficiently near to permit of the reception of the napkin by the channels 4: the

hook 6 is inserted into the eye 5.

ple and effective manner the desired results.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. Adevice of the character described, comprising 'a U- shaped portion adapted to fit around the neck of a person to provide de pending curved arms conforming to the curvature of the chest, a portion of the lower ends of the arms being bent upon themselves to provide channels forming a napkin-receptacle, a plurality of tangs secured to the arms to permit of the adjustment of the napkin facilitatin g the application of the holder to persons varying in size, and means for binding the arms against the person to secure the device in applied position.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a U-shaped portion adapted to fit around the neck of a person to provide depending curved arms, a portion of the lower ends of the arms being bent upon themselves to provide channels forming a napkin-receptacle, the ends of the bent portions then extended and bent to form a hook and an eye to provide locking means to bind the arms against the person to secure the devicein applied position, and tangs secured to the arms.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LUTHER J. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

V. SLAUGHTER, R. O. SLAUGHTER. 

